Weekly Wisdom

 

December 17, 2007

“Let’s Go By the Book…the Book of Life”

This is a wonderful time to be alive. I’ve prayed for all of you today, and I believe that God is watching over you and protecting you from all harm and danger. For all of you that are fighting the good fight of faith, I say, “Keep on until you see the manifestation.”

I want to share with you the secret of true success. John 12:44-45 tells us,

“Jesus cried and said, He who believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on Him that sent me.”

Let me give you an example. When this newsletter is typed, we have one master letter in print. Then we send the master to the printing company. They take it and make copies off of the original. Every word on the original is copied on the duplicates. There is not one word missing. Everyone that is reading this letter is reading exactly what the first letter said. God made a duplicate copy of Himself in Jesus Christ. Every action that Jesus did and every word that He spoke was exactly what the Father told Him. There wasn’t anything left out. Anybody that receives Jesus' words will receive a pure message straight from the heart of God. The false religions that don’t make Jesus the center of their belief are not receiving and worshipping the true God. Satan has deceived them, and they have received a lie instead of the truth. Jesus said in John 14:6,

“I AM the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by me.”

Now let’s look at why many Christians don’t receive the best from God on the earth. If Jesus’ words are the Word of God, then I can receive from God, if I receive Jesus’ words. In John 17:8 Jesus prayed;

“For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them; and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.”

If I receive the words of Jesus, God will do exactly that word I received in my life. Generally speaking, most Christians have never given the words of Jesus much attention, believing they can make it without them. They are fooling themselves. John 15:7 says,

“If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what you will and it shall be done unto you.”

Can’t you see why we haven’t received much from God? If I hear the words of Jesus and don’t act upon them, have I received them? Example. If you ask your child to go to the grocery store and buy bread and they come back an hour later without it, but with soda instead, did they receive your words? Jesus said in John 14:12,

“Verily, verily I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he shall do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto the Father.”

If Jesus really is the truth and He spoke this verse, Christians all over the world who read this verse ought to turn the world upside down. Why doesn’t this happen much? It’s because we read it but don’t receive it. I challenge you to let Jesus’ words abide in you. You will change your life first, and then you’ll change the world.

I love you,

Pastor Paul

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December 3, 2007

“God Is My Father…And I Love Him!”

Jesus’ life is a model love story of a Father and Son’s love for one another. Jesus did all He did because of His love for His Father. John 14:31 says,

“But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do.”

Jesus’ love is seen by His obedience. In John 15:9, Jesus says,

“As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue in my love.”

Look at 1 John 4:16.

“And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in Him.”

Because God is love, He is always wanting to give Himself. The reason God created man is to express His love. If God didn’t have anything to place His love upon, He would not be complete, because love has to have something to love. When a man and woman fall in love, their love brings fulfillment to one another. God created us in His own image, and we are to love like God loves. In fact, every born again Christian has a deep-down desire to love like God loves. I know that our flesh many times doesn’t want to love, but the real us (our spirit man) is born of Love to love.

Start seeing yourself as a love creature. God wants to love you; but unless you start identifying yourself with Love, you’ll really never fellowship much with God while on this earth.

Look at Jesus’ life and how He loved His Father. Jesus and the Father have power over everything, and the reason they do is because they are Love.

In I John 5:1 we see God is saying,

“Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and everyone that loveth him that begat loveth him that is begotten of him.”

God wants us to love Him like He loved us, and then He wants everyone of us to love all the brothers and sisters in the body of Christ.

Let me give you an example of how God wants us to love Him. First, you must know God. You’ll never love somebody until you know them. What is marriage all about? A man and a woman living out their lives together to love each other. Marriage is a picture of God’s love for man. In Ephesians 5:25 God shows us His love plan.

“Husbands love your wives even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it.”

The ideal marriage should be each partner trying to “out give the other”. The love that two people share in marriage should be just like God and us.

Can you imagine us becoming so in love with God that we give Him ourselves just like Jesus gave Himself to His Father. I believe that is what heaven will be like. Can you imagine no more selfishness, jealousy, anger, bitterness, etc. God has a home prepared for us that fits His character. He is Love!

Why don’t we start living that life right now on the earth, so we can get prepared for Heaven. In I John 4:18 we are reminded…

“Perfect love casteth out fear; because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.”

Let love replace your fear of man and God.

I love you,

Pastor Paul Craig